I am posting a link to a song/piece by my favorite band, Dream Theater, hopefully every day until we have successfully enjoyed every original song that they have recorded in-studio. There are many good reasons to do this, but you can probably guess most of the ones that I'm thinking.
No adieu.
We're just gonna do it.
I'm going to try to help you know what to expect a little bit without influencing the way that you experience the song. At least in the initial write-up, I won't tell you what I think the best or my favorite parts are. I want you to have the chance to enjoy the music on your own without any spoilers, just as I did.
I will also tell you that some of the things that Dream Theater does may be quite different than much of the music that you have listened to before. Sometimes it may be so new that it makes you a bit uneasy or just doesn't connect to you at all. If that happens, I encourage you to listen to it a few times, perhaps in different ways... once in the background while you do dishes, once with your eyes closed and your full attention, once hanging upside down like a bat. You get the idea.
I believe that, if you go on this journey with me, you will find more than a few songs that you enjoy. My mom saw Dream Theater live in K.C. and really enjoyed them, and she usually listens to NPR which I don't think gets to rock and roll that much. Dream Theater truly has something for everyone. Not everything they do may be your thing, but some of it may change your life for the better the way that it did mine.
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"Viper King"
Tempo - upbeat rock
Length - 4:00
Intro - dirty organ. oh, yeah
Texture - monophony with the intro, polyphonic, solo vocal moments for emphasis
Features - dirty organ. sick guitar solo.
Lyrics:
Venomous by design
Lying idle, biding time
Bore down the clutch, tore up the road
Six hundred horses, genetic code
Lightning speed, the road she bends
Slammed down the brakes, losing my ass end
Drive on, pushed to the limit
My Viper King, we're flying high
Drive on, filled with desire
Nothing to fear, I feel alive
My Viper King
Speed demon, tempting fate
Do or die, in the blink of an eye
Drive on, pushed to the limit
My Viper King, we're flying high
Drive on, filled with desire
Nothing to fear, I feel alive
My Viper King
Drive on, pushed to the limit
My Viper King, we're flying high
Drive on, filled with desire
Nothing to fear, I feel alive
My Viper King
My Viper King
My Viper King
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Dream Theater formed at Berklee in 1985. The original 3 members were John Petrucci (guitar) and John Myung (bass), friends from Long Island, and Mike Portnoy (percussion) whom the Johns heard in a practice room and said, "we gotta get that guy". (Something along those lines).
"Distance Over Time" (2019) lineup:
LaBrie – vocals
Petrucci – guitar
Jordan - keyboard,
Myung – bass
Mangini - percussion
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SPOILERS AND SUBJECTIVITY BELOW: YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THIS AFTER LISTENING
Words to describe this song/suite: cool, heavy, and grindy groove.
Stream-of-consciousness reflection as I listen to "Viper King"This one is kinda like a rock 'n' roller coaster. It's pretty much a standard mainstream rock uptune. They don't usually do this kinda song. Usually, their mainstream-type songs are ballads or power ballads. This one is just, like, hey, here's some badass rock.
Final thought: Get yourself a treat. Bob and weave with the music as you listen.
Thank you for reading, and enjoy!
Yours in harmony,
Michael
~In loving memory of Tim~
I reread these words to myself, and it hurts. I wish so painfully that I could talk to him about this blog series. I wish that I had started this project sooner... And, of course, the irony is, without the strength of my longing and regret for his presence and the sound of his voice, for his giddy school-boy love for this music, would I be able to stay on task? I don't know, and I may never know. I'm trying to honor his memory, but wish that I could share each post with him, or with his help. He, himself, wrote a book, after all.
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